Other MotorcyclesForum for you to engage in banter about other motorcycles. Good place for former (and soon to be) V-Strom owners to keep on the site even though they are without a Strom. This is not a tech forum on other bikes. There are other sites for that.

I used to own a big ST bike, (Concours 1000, 2 of them over the years) and have ridden most of the newer ones, some quite a bit. I'm not tempted at all. Mostly the weight, partly the heat. (They're all hot, in varying degrees. )
The Strom isn't perfect, but it's such a wonderfully balanced bike, and such a joy to ride that I really have quit looking for "my next bike". There isn't anything on the market, at any price, that makes me think that I'd enjoy it any more than the Strom.

I've had several big tourers, Suzuki Cavalcade, Electra Glide, 1500 Wing, 1800 wing, R1100RT and I'm about to take delivery on a 1400 Concours.
I've not ridden the new BMW 1600 but have two acquaintances who have owned them.
Big tour bikes are like anything that has developed for a specialized purpose, good at what they do. Lots of wind protection, supple suspension, luggage capacity, creature comforts for both rider and passenger.
I'd hate to be restricted to owning any one type of bike, but if I was it would not be a big tourer, just too restricted for the type of riding I like to do. Also, my wife doesn't care for riding as a passenger. But for long trips its pretty hard to deny the pluses.
One of my acquaintances thinks his 1600 is awesome, he came from an Electra Glide Ultra. The other sold his very quickly and bought a 2012 Goldwing. He didn't like the sensitivity of the fly by wire throttle and felt it had too much driveline lash. Both are very experienced riders and I respect their opinions but it shows that no one bike is for everyone.

I don't think I'd be tempted towards that type of bike at all, unless I rode two-up a lot and covering distances. I just don't see the need otherwise. I am sure they are comfortable, but the heft, fuel and tires is the trade-off.

If I were to get a large sport-tourer though, it would be the Concours 1400. I recently saw a guy out on a black 2012 and it looked pretty sporty. For $10,000 +- less than the BMW.

I am sure they are comfortable, but the heft, fuel and tires is the trade off.

As far as that goes my Road Glide is way more comfortable than my Strom. It's getting 46mpg and the stock tires are said to go 20,000. Myself I would love to have the K1600 but my wife likes the backseat of my Harley so the BMW is out.

"Riding a motorcycle is very good for your health until it suddenly isn't. It's like having a poison pill in your bottle of Tylenol. You'll run into it one day, and the relief the others gave you probably wasn't worth it at all." K'ale

It does I looked one over at the dealership and really liked it though I didn't take a test ride. The Harley is a known commodity to me so that and the wife's wants were deciding factors. Everything I've read about them is positive but I never talked to a owner.

Citizen4 I was a lot like you until a year or so ago. Long story short--if you're 6 feet tall or over, forget it!

For a long time I thought that if ever the chance came, I'd be on a K1600GT so quickly it'd make your eyes water. Then came the day of reckoning....
At last year's bike show on the Gold Coast I had the opportunity to try one on for size and to my disbelief, the thing's too small, and way too small at that! I'm 6'4" with a 34" inseam and there was no way I could sit on this bike comfortably let alone try to ride it. When I bought my Vee I put some Renthal bars on it and had the seat raised 2" to provide more leg room. Simple easy fixes, and I've since done many comfortable long distance rides.

When I sat on the Beemer my arms were cramped and my knees were almost touching my elbows. I asked the salesman if this particular bike had been pre-sold and had somehow been adjusted for a much shorter person (although I couldn't see how the Beemer's bars could be altered or replaced with after-market items). He just looked at me strangely... I always thought that the big touring Beemers were made for large-framed Germans and Americans so I was extremely disappointed that the K1600 had to be scratched from my lust list.

I was passing the BMW stand later in the day when I saw another guy on the K1600, sitting back on the pillion seat, saying "this is where the rider's seat should be!" (the same salesman was looking on --not amused) so obviously it wasn't just me having trouble with its seating position. Two days later, being something of a masochist I suppose, I called in to the local Beemer dealership and spoke to one of the sales people about the K1600. Immediately she told me I'd have no chance of fitting onto it, which I again proved with their display bike.

Pity... There are so many Italian bikes that are way too small for me that I'd love to own, like the Stelvio where its cylinder heads and my knees compete for the same space. I really thought the K1600 wouldn't be in that category. My 1000 is getting on and I need to consider another brand's touring replacement seeing Suzuki seem determined to only offer superficial cosmetic upgrades on the Vee. It's a shame to have to switch makers but even though I don't ride dirt any more, the Triumph Tiger or Explorer, or even a Multistrada--which does fit--for their upright DL-style seating, may have to come into calculations.

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